Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-11-21
A Terrible Disaster.

sec0nd-claSS matter.
"A Terrible Disaster.
The Nelherlands line steamship W. A.
Scholten, which sailed from Rotterdam for
New York Saturday, came into collision ten
miles off Dover ut 10 o'clock that night
with the steamer Rosa Mary, and sank al
most Immediately. The Scholten had on
board passengers and crew to the number of
$50, and of these only 80 are known to have
been saved OF the remaining 140, q have
been landed at Dover dead, aud fears are
entertained that the others were also lost,
though 3 few of them may have been picked
up by passing vessels. The Schoten car
red five boats, but only two them were
available, The other three being unsea-
worthy. The two sound boats were lower
ed and at the same time it was reported on
deck that the ship was making water rapid
~ and must soon go down. The scenes
which followed this announcement were
terrible beyond description. Shreks. pray
ers, groaDs, and curses mingled with the
hosrse voices Of the officers giving orders,
and the cries OF children c!inging to their
motbers' skirts rendered still more heart
rending the terror laden shrieks of the lat
ter The officers displayed admirable cool
ness, and remained on the bridge aud at
other posts of duty until the last, several of
them, icing provided with life belts, re-
maiuiUg until the vessel settled, and leaplng
into the sea as she went down. Twenty
mi1Utes after the TWO ships came together
, 10. i'caollen was at the bottom OF the chan
aa'. Ali Of the passengers and crew who
a-d been fortcnate enough 10 procure lie
sob, I'D h.,h 10
6ieh cyused around until O'Clock yes-
tarasg morning There is scarcely per-
son among the rescued passengers Who does
1ot osoUcH the loss Oft wits, husband, broth
ar. sister, OF cblld, aud 10 some cases only
Que meseber of . large family is found to
nave aeeu saved.
The passengers accounts differ regarding
the ircumS' ances Of the COLLISION, and The
reports Of the officers OF the Scholten CLASH
with these Of the officers OF the Rosa Mary.
Some Q? the passengers state that the even
iug's ;nerriment had ceased, and most OF tho
passengers had retired TO ,her buulis oaly
fo@ remaining il the saloon when trs
mendous crash wac beard ou The port bow
'rney sly it is impossible that .he collision
could bsye occurred by he Scholten Strik
! iag an anchored vessel.
The second cate OF the Scnolteu reports
/ that he was Oh deck when he saw an uu-
/ known steamer coming through the fog.
| Before any hing c0uld be done the Schoiten
WAS struck in The fore rigging and port
! how The other vessel, which he now pre-
/ sumes was ;he Rosa Mary. backed off and
! disappeared. Within twenty minutes the
/ ScholIen sunk.
The captain of the Rosa Mary states that
| his vessel was run into while anchored
/
known steamer. Finding that the Rosa
Mary was damaged he proceeded to Dover
| r ads, where tho Vessel is now docked The
Rosa Mary was laden with coal for st. Ma
zsiIe.
George Moore, o passenger, states that
! when the crash occurred general rush was
mace for the deck. II was told that moth.
| iug serious had occurred" he says, "but Sc.
cured a life belt There were six English pas
seneers on board the vessel, and one of these,
girl, asked Us to keep in group that the
English might go down together. l was in
the water long Time before being picked
up. When the Scholten sank the cries were
heartreEdiDg The captain ofthe Ebro, the
rescuing vessel, behaved nobly He had all
| his deck load of timber thrown overheard,
and this iudicious act saved many lives.
Only two of the Schoiten's boats were low
cred tho others could not be got adrift. |
do not know whether this was due to any
| fnult on board. The vessel listed over go
much that all the boats could not be drop
ped into the water. The people rushed
about iu the greatest state of excitement,
all trying to get q place in the two boats
which had been successfully lowered. The
scare and disorder prevented many persons
being saved The water was freezing cold.
This FASTENED the death Of many. rendering
them powerless."
Charles Mills, of Red Hill, Surry, says:
"The life boats appeared ss if they had not
been used for 8 long time. They had to be
chopped away with axes with the assistance
of passengers. called out TO those on the
bridge to fire rockets. 1t was long time
before they did. The greatest confusion
prevailed The ship was right over on her
port side before they fired the rockets. I
waited until the water touched the boilers,
putting out the fires. Then l got hold OF q
belt, but Dutch sailor suatched it away.
We were all mixed together, foreigners and
English ciinging to one another il the We
ter I saw several drowned in this way,
aud had the greatest difficulty TO keep clear
of them. | gave a spar to woman to hold
on to. The Dutch sailors wanted to save
themselves, and ever thrust the woman
aside. I can swim well, and I swan about
until got to the Ebro, when rope Was
thrown to me- After the collision l went
down into the cabin ard woke two Dutch
iadies. but they were parslyZed with terror,
and wouldn't get up despite all entreates u
Mr. Appleby, one of the passengers saved
saia i was in ny berth, as also were many
others. when me crash came. Immediate
ly rushed to the deck, followed by con.
fused crogd. Upon first reaching the deck
[ did not think anything much was the mat
ter until saw that the port bow was stove
in close to the rigging and laid open for c
grest spaee. The pasaengars soon crowded